32 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r Jai tiary 10, 1SS9. 
•when ripe a yellowish grey, the flesh green and very luscious. Some 
fruits that did not come to maturity were found to be quite sweet 
and palatable after keeping a week or more. Marston House, 
a good form of Hero of Lockinge, received from Mr. Iggulden, was 
satisfactory, and its yellow skin and white netting makes it good for 
sale, the flavour being good. A. I’. Barron would do nothing but 
crack this year, and one of my seedlings followed suit. I had many 
seedlings but have not obtained what I require, and that is a Melon 
with hard bright yellow skin, well netted and deep green flesh. 
Longleat Perfection I see described as of smooth skin. I had only 
two fruits, but they were netted in the most exquisite manner, 
and I never saw such handsome fruits. They smelt well, but I 
parted with them without tasting, and have regretted ever since. 
Carrots. —Sutton’s Early Gem and New intermediate are two 
excellent Carrots, and the former is my favourite, being useful for 
all purposes. No longer Carrot is required for the table, and the 
colour and quality are all one could desire. 
Noble Strawberry is truly noble in appearance, but my plants 
being very weak, and having removed nearly all the blossoms, I 
cannot say more. I have, however, formed a high opinion of it as 
a market Strawberry, for it looks so well.—H. S. Easty. 
FRUIT TREE LABELS. 
The practice of attaching the ordinary galvanised labels with 
wire round the stems and branches of fruit trees is one that is not 
to be commended, for several reasons ; the first, and perhaps the 
most important, is because, unless more than ordinary care is exer¬ 
cised, the wire is almost sure to cut into the bark, and often become 
imbedded to such an extent that much force is necessary for its 
removal. It is more frequently observed in the case of very free- 
growing trees, and those who have adopted this principle should not 
lose the opportunity winter affords in examining their trees, for I 
have known wire cut so deeply that they have had their heads 
blown off when subjected to more than ordinary forces. Another 
reason I think of equal importance is, when such labels are suspended 
on the tree very often in summer they cannot be found when 
required, from the simple fact that they are hidden among the 
leaves ; and it is, I contend, during summer and autumn that the 
names are of the greatest importance to the gardener, and should 
be so placed as not to require a search being made at a busy 
period of the year. 
A plan that I have adopted with this kind of label is to tack 
them on to some strong pegs, made very similar to ordinary tallies, 
the upper portions being painted with two coats of white paint, and 
the portion which is to be plunged in the ground dipped in tar or 
charred with fire ; the former is preferable, though perhaps not at 
all times convenient. They should be of sufficient length to raise 
them well above the ground level, so as to place the name well 
within sight. I find from 12 to 16 inches a very good length, and if 
these are placed about a foot from the stem of small or closely 
pruned trees, allowing a little more to those of more spreading 
habit, there would be no difficulty in ascertaining the variety of 
each individual tree at a glance. Where prepared pegs such as I 
have described would be objected to on the score of time and 
expense, the same principle might be practised, but instead of using 
a plane, some strong stakes might be cut into the required lengths, 
pointed, and charred ; these would last a long time, and also serve 
a good purpose at a very slight cost and trouble. 
I like to see fruit tree names written in a large and bold hand, 
but unless this can be done neatly it is objectionable Such work 
as forms the subject of this note would constitute an agreeable 
task for young men in bothies, and would be willingly undertaken, 
no doubt, for an evening’s pastime during the long winter nights if 
gardeners afforded them the opportunity. This work would be an 
advantage to them, as providing an opportunity of improvement in 
the art of writing, as also for acquiring knowledge among varieties 
of outdoor fruits. For writing a large hand much space is needed, 
and nothing that I know is better than large labels, and the larger 
and stouter they are made, of course the more durable and adaptable 
they are for the purpose. 
The foregoing has reference more particularly to pyramid, bush, 
or standard fruit trees ; but Strawberries, Raspberries, Currants, 
or Roses are all worthy of the same treatment. A garden furnished 
with trees without names has but little charm to employers or 
visitors, compared to another where these so-called minor formalities 
are carefully attended to ; and there is greater pleasure in a gardener 
being able to point with certainty to this or that tree when properly 
labelled during the fruiting season, than when no such provision is 
made. If only for the benefit of the younger men of the craft the 
work is certainly well worth doing, especially as such can, by careful 
supervision, be efficiently carried out by the young men themselves, 
and those who are not possessed of interest in the names of plants 
and trees are not destined to become gardeners worthy of the 
name.—W. S. 
LOBELIAS FOR BEDDING. 
These ought to be raised early in order to have strong plants fit 
for bedding-out late in May. At one time seedlings, owing to their 
straggling habit, could not be used for edging neat beds, but now 
superior strains can be procured which nearly rival the best named 
varieties. If seed of either Veitch’s strain of L. speciosa, L. pumila 
magnifica, or Emperor William are supplied true to name the plants 
obtained may safely be used for edging purposes. White-flowering 
varieties are not very popular, but a trial might well be given to either 
L. pumila, White Gem, or L. Erinus alba. The L. gracilis varieties are 
the best for vases, window boxes, and hanging baskets. The seed may be 
sown and otherwise treated as just advised in the case of Begonias the, 
seedlings being first pricked out rather thickly in pans or boxes, topped 
once or twice, and eventually beddel-out in cold frames.— W. I. 
GRAPES SCALDING. 
I feel sorry that Mr. Bardney has considered modesty to be 
the cause of my withholding my opinion as to the reason of Grapes 
scalding. 1 should like to repudiate any such idea. 1 felt it necessary 
to remind him the second time that I had not ventured an opinion as to 
the cause of scalding, for two reasons—firstly, because it is entirely 
apart from my argument ; secondly, not from modesty, but want of 
knowledge, I do not feel justified in giving a hard and fast opinion in 
the matter, for I have not been successful in avoiding the evil myself. 
I candidly admit that at present I am by no means satisfied as to the 
cause or causes of scalding ; but, like your correspondent, I have 
arrived at various conclusions. How far these conclusions are right I am 
unable to determine. At one time I thought it due entirely to bad 
ventilation, but I have since altered that opinion ; in fact, I am inclined 
to think the roots are more often at fault than the ventilation. Dryness 
at the roots would undoubtedly account for the evil in some cases, for if 
the border is inclined to dryness the food supply would naturally be 
limited, consequently the roots would not be able to respond to the 
increased demand made by the foliage during a hot day, when the 
evaporation is greatly increased, especially when the Vines are in the 
critical stage of reproducing themselves. An insufficient supply of food 
is also a very feasible reason, for no matter what the amount of good feed¬ 
ing or how favourable the condition of the border, if the ingredients are 
not there they cannot be supplied. But the question naturally arises, 
What is the particular kind of food required most at this period ? A 
question only to be solved by a chemical analysis at that time. I agree 
with Mr. Bardney that it is very difficult to account for many cases of 
scalding, even when you are on the spot. A reason is general y found 
and accepted as the true cause, but I doubt very much whether this or 
that reason is always correct. I should like to ask the readers of the 
Journal if any of them have Vines on Lady Downe’s worked on any 
other stocks, such as Black Hamburgh, Gros Colman, and Muscats 
growing in the same house with Vines on their own roots. If so, 
whether the former scald as readily as the latter. This point may be of 
material value. I often wonder whether the Grapes of Lady Downe’s 
require any particu’ar food in greater quantity at this period than the 
majority of other Grapes. These are questions I must leave for your 
scientific readers. If we are fortunate enough to get replies to them I 
am sure they wi.l be very interesting.— James B. Riding. 
FRUIT FORGING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Earliest House .—The flowers having 
opened well and pollen being abundant, the set promises to be favour¬ 
able, notwithstanding that the weather has been dull and cold. The 
chief aid to fertilisation is to raise the temperature to 50° in the 
morning soon after daybreak if it has been lower, and to admit a 
little air without causing a draught. Maintain a genial condition of the 
atmosphere by damping the paths and borders occasionally in the morn¬ 
ing and early in the afternoon of fine days. By ventilating early with 
a suitable temperature the trees are kept in steady progress, the blossom 
becomes perfected, and fertilisation is readily effected. It is easy to 
assist the distribution of the pollen by means of a feather, a plume of 
Pampas Grass, a rabbit’s tail mounted on a stick, or a camel’s hair brush. 
Any varieties deficient of pollen should he fertilised from those that 
furnish it abundantly, such as Royal George in Peaches and Elruge in 
Nectarines. The night temperature must now be 50° to 55° in mild 
weather, permitting a fall of 5° through the night in severe weather,. 
55° by day from fire heat, advancing to 65° from sun heat. Increase the 
ventilation freely above 55°, but not so as to lower the temperature, and 
close at 65°, a few degrees advance from sun heat being beneficial. Do- 
